British Astronomical Association
	Meteor Section

2004 Geminids 

Circumstances for this shower – currently the most prolific of the year – should have been ideal in 2004, with New Moon on December 12, and maximum expected around Dec 13d 16h UT, presenting high rates for UK observers on the evening of December 13-14. In the event, weather proved terrible across the UK: observations were limited by hazy skies before peak, and stormy conditions on maximum night, which was best-favoured over North Wales/NW England and, briefly, the Moray Firth. A total of only 8h 16m observation time (9 sporadics and 176 Geminids) came from the following observers:

N Bone, I Brantigham, P Brierley, M Green, W Leslie, R Sargent (Video), Llandrillo and North Wales Coast AS.

The ZHR analysis below is at best tentative:

 

2004 December (UT)	Sol long	Teff (Hrs)	LM	F	NSp	CHR	NGem	Alt. Rad. o	ZHR
10d23h32m	259.21	1.00	5.25	-	3	14.0+8.1	1	55.9	3.7+3.7
11  00  32	259.25	1.00	5.25	-	0	-	3	64.4	10.1+5.8
13  20  10	262.13	1.00	6.00	0.56	-	-	36	28.4	66.2+11.0
13  22  40	262.23	1.00	6.00	-	-	-	41	46.4	88.4+13.8
13  23  40	262.27	1.88	5.25	-	1	2.5+2.5	81	55.2	160.0+17.8

Richard Sargent, Chester, ran his Astrovid Stellacam EX video camera for approximately three hours from 17h 46m UT on December 13-14, recording 12 Geminid trails and a sporadic, merged into a spectacular composite image.

Page last updated: 01/09/2005